why exactly would you get access to these things? For research? People would tell you the gtfoh repeatedly.

^They will. But Dan Brown, Elizabeth Kostova, Tom Knox etc would beg to differ. If you ill with the craft, people would give you a chance.

^^^^
Dan Brown didnt see shit.

Ah yes, your famously touted audience with the pope.

A lot of people have had an audience with the pope. It basically means that you are in his presence and that’s just a very sort of arcane and silly way to put it. I was in a room with a group of other people and that’s about the extent of it.

You were also purportedly afforded some unusual access to the Vatican grounds. …

That’s true. I have a very good friend who has a connection, extremely high, in the Vatican. The parts of the Vatican that we saw–such as the Necropolis … currently, something like eleven people a day are allowed in to see the Necropolis. That was probably the most secure area that we saw that was absolutely really, really memorable and special. The Vatican archives–only three Americans in history have been allowed inside. I was not one of them. Two were cardinals and one was a professor of religious studies, I think, at the University of Florida. All of the descriptions were accurate. But I was not allowed inside the secret archives myself. I was allowed inside the Vatican Library and the Vatican archives, but not the Vatican secret archives.

Eastern, obviously I wasnt talking Dan Brown and the Vatican b. He’s not even allowed on the property and was exiled from Rome.

====

But apparently from the article you upped, he in fact, saw shit.

^^^
yeah he saw shit before he published Angels & Demons. But nothing he saw was off his rep as a novelist. I’d rather be a writer for GQ or Vanity Fair or sth #justsaying
You can still write books on the side.

yeah he saw shit before he published Angels & Demons. But nothing he saw was off his rep as a novelist.

^you’re dead wrong. You don’t think he got those chances off the strength of Digital Fortress and Deception Point? And the light he put on The Vatican made them turn against him. When first set out on his research quest, they gave him a chance because he was already an accomplished author. So, he got that clearance off his author swag.ball I’m saying.

Dan Brown is a turrrble author. All of his novels are the same although I lapped Da Vinci Code up when it come out (n). It’s always some hero in a race against time to save the world/ uncover some mythical secret. Snoozefest.

Dan Brown is a turrrble author. All of his novels are the same although I lapped Da Vinci Code up when it come out (n). It’s always some hero in a race against time to save the world/ uncover some mythical secret. Snoozefest.

^^Really?? I thought those two were rubbish. It’s all subjective though innit? As far as novelists go, couple books you should read which are slightly more challenging/intellectual : Rohinton Mistry ‘A Fine Balance’ and Paul Auster ‘The New York Trilogy’ and ‘Brooklyn Follies’.

ON the real though I would do horrible things to be granted access to the Vatican secret archives and also have the ability to read Latin and various other languages.

^That.

But as far as authors, I love that Historical angle in novels. I like fuckery too like, Jeff Lindsay and whatnot. But ain’t nothing like a good book based in some historical truth. And the research that comes out when you’re done reading and wanna find out more.